title: Efficacy of diethylcarbamazine-medicated salt for microfilaraemia of Brugia malayi.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pilot studies in India and abroad have demonstrated the benefit of cooking salt fortified with diethylcarbamazine citrate (DEC) for the control of lymphatic filariasis. In India, DEC-medicated salt has been introduced on a commercial basis in the Cherthala region of Kerala, which is endemic for Brugia malayi (B. malayi). We studied the efficacy of DEC-medicated salt in the clearance of microfilaraemia of B. malayi.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighteen cases of microfilaraemia (11 men; 7 women) were selected; 14 in the experimental group (i.e. treated with 0.2% w/w DEC-medicated salt) and the rest as the control group who were given a placebo. The consumption of salt and the status of parasitaemia were monitored till all the microfilaria carriers became negative.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a significant reduction in the density of microfilariae (intensity) among the treated individuals over a period of time. The duration required for the clearance of microfilariae ranged from 9 to 30 [mean (SD) 19.4 (1.7)] weeks. All microfilaraemics except one reported side-effects which were mild-to-moderate and persisted for a maximum period of one month.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  DEC-medicated salt effectively clears microfilariae within 30 weeks in parasitaemic individuals. No 'endemic normals' reported any side-effects, though these were common among the microfilaria carriers.
authors.affiliation: Vector Control Research Centre, Pondicherry, India.
authors.forename: K N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Panicker
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Arunachalam
authors.forename: N P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Prathibha
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sabesan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017178:Brugia malayi; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004049:Diethylcarbamazine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004605:Elephantiasis, Filarial / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D005369:Filaricides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D016018:Least-Squares Analysis; D008297:Male; D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D005369:Filaricides; D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary; D004049:Diethylcarbamazine